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Glossary

Cane

Cane is a mobility tool that is used as walking stick; a stick that people can lean on to help them walk, so called because originally made of one of the species of cane.

Adjustable height canes can improve balance and reduce fatigue. Travel canes can fold up and be carried in a travel case. Standard crook canes are lightweight and durable to help improve balance and reduce fatigue. Quad canes are used when there is a need for additional stability. Quad canes have a base with four legs affording greater stability than straight canes.

Cane is a device a blind person uses while walking. This type of cane is longer and assists the people who are blind with locating objects on the floor and in his/her pathway that he/she will need to step around. This cane is different from the type of cane a person with a mobility disability or the elderly use.

A support cane must be weight bearing , have a comfortable handle, and have a rubber tip on the bottom. It can be made out of 1 or 2 pieces. The shape of the handle must be comfortable and allow the weight to be directly over the shaft, the thickness of the shaft must be sufficient to support the users weight without bending or bowing, and it should approximate in length half the height of the user. The shape of a cane handle comes roughly in two common shapes:
1). the offset T-shape or 2). the Crook (candy cane)